Changes(?) after Veeam Backup Agent 4 restore to OS instalation.

[MasterII]

Hello,
may be I am missing something, need to consult community experiences.

I am using Veeam Agent 4 on many computers, but when all is running good, no space for finding problems(?). Before some time, I needed to go back 3 days in time on one Windows 10 Pro x64 machine with crucial work Autodesk software installed. No hardware changes, just restoring backup 3 days old. I did not inject any driver, restore via USB flash booted Veeam Restore Media. After restore, computer running good, windows 10 are activated, office as well. Autodesk licences are in subscriptions, but re-login was needed. No problem so far. But we have some Autodesk Revit paid pluggins, especially Graitec Power Pack Adwance, licenced by activation to computer HW. Unfortunately, after backup restore, this licence is completely gone.
I have started support ticket with Graitec, why backup by Veeam Agent 4 "imaging" loosing licence after restore. But no exact explanations, only state comment, that imaging do not affect the licence if no HW change. New licence was issued and case closed.

But now, situations of restore needs to be repeated, and the Graitec Power Pack Advance licence is gone again.

Am I making any mistake in restore process? After issuing new licence again, I really need to find the way, how to make image backup, without loosing the licence again. It means switch to different backup program, which does not change any changes via restore process. It really seems Veeam Backup Agent modifiyng some computer identificators, even restoring to the same hardware. Can this be prevented?

Thanks for advice and comments.

[Dima P.]

Hi,

Can you please clarify what backup mode you are using? How the license file is stored for the mentioned plug-in (within the registry, database, as a file on the OS)? Thanks!

[MasterII]

Hello, I am using Volume level backup, operating system selected (it means all partitions on C: drive). The backup target is another local high capacity HDD (drive Z:). I have no licence for Veeam Agent, operating in Free mode.

About Graitec pluggin licence I have no information, how it is stored. Activation is done via Internet, providing SN in a simple guide, to the message "sucessfuly activated". Storage of the license may be some protected knowledge of developers. But the sure thing is, that first run after restore destroys it.

I am looking for "restore" method, just reimagine the C: drive back, without any changes. But it seems, there is windows recovery portions of installation starts after restore. This may be the problem. I only need to write back disk, no other action of restoration process (as I know them from servers). I have thought it is only done if different hardware recovery is selected. But is seems not. Make it repeatedly many times, no matter what I have tried, licence never was kept.

[Dima P.]

Thanks for the update! Any chance that the part of the Graitec plug-in installation is stored on the volume wich is not included in the backup (say temp files)?

[asdffdsa6131]

hi,
i found out this the hard way.

that when vagent creates a vss snapshot, vagent, on the fly, add a entry to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot
and then after the backup, vagent deletes the entry.
in my testing, that entry excludes the temp folders.
as to why agent would do that, i have no idea.
i wish it would not auto-exclude the recycle bin and temp folders.

------------------
VeeamExcludePaths

$AllVolumes$\pagefile.sys
$AllVolumes$\hiberfil.sys
$AllVolumes$\swapfile.sys
$AllVolumes$\$Recycle.Bin\* /s
$UserProfile$\AppData\Local\Temp\* /s
$AllVolumes$\System Volume Information\*{3808876B-C176-4e48-B7AE-04046E6CC752} /s
----------------------------------------

[Dima P.]

asdffdsa6131,

Are you saying that the plug-in configuration file was stored in on of the mentioned locations? Thanks!

[asdffdsa6131]

hi Dima,

i was pointing out vagent behaviour, that vagent does not backup temp folders and recycle bin.

that i wish VBAR software make that clear and to have an option to backup those important folders.

thanks,

[MasterII]

These files from VeeamExcludepath are only temporary, with no direct poin to OS or any license. Only the last one make me wonder, why are not "System Volume Information\" included, as they are crucial for NTFS permissions and "stream" files. It make me idea of hiding Graitec problematic licence on NTFS stream ... but not sure.

As I reported, there is some portion of Windows 10 restore procedure after first boot after Veeam Restore. This is really unwanted in case, the hardware was not changed.
When I used primitive image software snasphot.exe (less then 400kB one file), licence after restoring via this software is in place. And also no Windows 10 restore procedure after first boot.

So Veeam Agent definitely invokes some unnecessary steps in case of the same (not changed) computer and hardware. These steps are crucial for migrating to different hardware and this should explain, why licence bounded to hardware is lost.

But this should be for opening issue ticket, I guess.

[asdffdsa6131]

if you want to know where that software is hiding the license, you can run system internals process explorer.

[Egor Yakovlev]

Based on Graitec Activation FAQ article, it is 100% normal to lose license activation after system rollback or a time shift(future to past).
A procedure of license repair is needed afterwards according to their guide.
/Cheers!

[MasterII]

According to linked Graitec Activation FAQ, license should be repaired by activation with same SN and activation. But it does not work after Veeam restore. Activation process failed with "no more activations left for your SN". So the guide is not always correct, we have personaly discussed with Graitec support. According them, imaging without HW change cannot remove valid licence. But it is happen with Veeam.

Repair procedure turns into new licence request.

[Dima P.]

MasterII,

From what I see in Graitec Activation guide, they do rely on some operating system values for their license activation and verification (information about previous machine configuration is stored somewhere at their servers). While Veeam does not change anything during restore, machine still goes back in time (and synchronization between extremal recourse such as Licensing server might be broken), maybe Graitec licensing server does not address such conflicts and shuts down license autoupdate. Unfortunately, we do not have the knowledge of their licensing logic, but I'd still recommend to escalate this issue via Graitec support team. Thanks!